In pursuit of our collective work to “shape, innovate and transition to the emerging environment of long-term services and supports including health care integration,” ANCOR is excited to be at the center of national business acumen efforts to ensure our community-based organizations serving people with disabilities are part of the evolving service delivery system and that their significant knowledge and experience serving people with disabilities is preserved.

To ensure our members have ready access to information, resources, and updates, we’ve created this Business Acumen One-Stop for your convenience. Should you have questions or are interested in additional information, please contact Kim Opsahl, ANCOR’s Business Acumen Project Manager atkopsahl@ancor.org.

Register for the September 28 HCBS Business Acumen Webinar – Adapting to the Environment: How One Organization Maximized Opportunity.Trends change. Keeping an eye on changes in the business environment can help community-based organizations (CBOs) identify ways to expand their businesses, modify their practices or meet new and enhanced outcomes for the people they serve. Join us on Friday, September 28, 2018 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET as Dina Casalaspro, Managing Director of Community Options Enterprises, Inc. describes the research that lead their organization to develop a creative and self-sustaining business model with a hybrid payer structure, where customer purchased services and office rentals support the cost of operations.

Administration for Community Living (ACL) awardedthe National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD) a cooperative agreement aimed at building the capacity of community-based disability organizations (CBOs) to contract with integrated care and other health sector entities. In partnership with ANCOR and nine other national organizations, NASUAD’s 3-year agreement will support training, technical assistance and a learning collaborative for disability organizations that want to cement their role in a changing Long Term Services and Supports delivery system.

As a primary sub-contractor, ANCOR is responsible for leading the development and support of the Learning Collaborative and lending its expertise in community services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. ANCOR’s project team for this important effort includes ANCOR’s Director of State Partnerships & Special Projects, Kim Opsahl and Vice President of Government Relations, Esmé Grant Grewal.

Community Based Organizations (CBOs) is a broad term to describe local organizations that offer community living services and supports to advance the health, well-being, independence, and community participation of older adults and people with disabilities. CBOs include Area Agencies on Aging, aging services organizations, behavioral health organizations, Centers for Independent Living, developmental disability organizations, faith-based organizations, Native American tribal organizations (American Indian/Alaskan Native/Native Hawaiian), nutrition program providers, Protection and Advocacy Agencies, University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research & Service, and other local service providers for persons with disabilities and/or older adults.

What is the trajectory of Managed Long-Term Services and Supports?

Over the past several years, there has been a rapid expansion of Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (MLTSS). In driving this growth, states are seeking to integrate health care and long-term service and supports to offer more flexible benefits packages, improve care coordination, and help to contain and stabilize costs.

What are the objectives of Integrated Care Entities working within MLTSS programs?

Integrated Care Entities (e.g. managed care organizations, hospitals, health systems, accountable organizations, and more) contracted by states to implement MLTSS and other integrated care programs often focus on the following objectives in working toward program goals and expectations.

What is Business Acumen?

In general, Business Acumen is “keenness and quickness in dealing with and understanding a business situation in a manner that is likely to lead to a good outcome.”

Within the context of MLTSS and the needs of integrated care entities, it is bringing together your organization’s strengths and capacities to demonstrate your value in achieving the outcomes above while effectively meeting the needs of people with disabilities in order to create business opportunities.

For ANCOR, Business Acumen is about creating a framework to enable members to “shape, innovate and transition to the emerging environment of long-term services and supports including health care integration.”